Survivor & costly mistakes.
The survivor decisions that shape what your family keeps — the 5% vs 10% election, declining coverage, the refund trap, death-in-service benefits, and planning for a disabled adult child.
Every guide in this cluster
FERS Survivor Benefit Elections: The 5% vs 10% Decision
A permanent 5% or 10% reduction in your annuity that protects your spouse for life — and decides whether your spouse keeps FEHB. The math, the trade-offs, and the FEHB connection most retirees don’t know about.
Declining the Survivor Annuity
The FERS/CSRS options and real cost, the notarized spousal-consent rule, and how waiving it ends your spouse’s FEHB after your death — with a trade-off calculator.
Taking the FERS Refund
Cashing out your contributions forfeits your annuity. The redeposit rule, taxes and the 10% penalty, and the deferred-retirement alternative — with a refund-vs-pension calculator.
Death in Service: Survivor Benefits When a Fed Dies Before Retiring
The FERS Basic Employee Death Benefit pays a lump sum plus 50% of salary — and, at 10 years, a lifetime survivor annuity and FEHB. What your family gets, and a calculator.
The Fed With a Disabled Adult Child: Survivor Annuity + Special Needs Trusts
A survivor annuity that lasts a child’s lifetime — but can’t be paid into a special needs trust, so it can jeopardize SSI and Medicaid. The rules and the tools that actually work.
FEGLI in Retirement: The 75/50/No-Reduction Election
The one-time SF 2818 election that sets your life-insurance cost for life. The 75/50/No-Reduction choices, the 5-year rule, the Option B age cliff, and a three-way cost calculator.
Back to the full pillar
This is one cluster of the FERS & CSRS pillar. Explore your pension, retirement timing, retiring early, service credit, and special situations in the full pillar.
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